Masters Notebook: Son's request put Nicklaus back on course

Golf helped both men deal with drowning of Jack's grandson

Published 10:00 pm, Tuesday, April 5, 2005

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Jack Nicklaus thought he'd be fishing or hunting this week. Instead, he's playing in possibly his final Masters.

Nicklaus will make his 45th appearance at Augusta National this week, an appearance the 65-year-old, six-time Masters champion had all but canceled a month ago after the drowning death of his 17-month-old grandson, Jake, the son of Steve Nicklaus.

However, in the last couple of weeks Nicklaus found himself on the golf course with his son as part of the grieving process. Then a trip to Augusta two weeks ago, a request of Steve Nicklaus, rekindled an interest.

"I had no intention of playing golf, but I've been playing golf," Nicklaus said yesterday at a news conference. "I basically asked Steve if he wanted to do something. And he wanted to play golf. If he would have said, 'Let's go fishing or hunting,' we would have done that. I guess if he would have said 'Let's go fishing,' I'd be in a fishing tournament this week."

Before his grandson lost his life in the family hot tub March 1, Nicklaus hinted that this could be his final Masters. He knows a mid-summer appearance at St. Andrews will be his final British Open appearance, because this is his final year of eligibility.

But Nicklaus has a lifetime exemption to the Masters. So will this be his last? He's not certain, despite saying, "(it) probably will be."

If so, it would mark the second consecutive year one of the greats makes his final trip around Augusta National. Last year, Arnold Palmer made his 50th and final Masters appearance. He missed the cut with a pair of 84s but was warmly received by the huge galleries.

Nicklaus said he doesn't want the extra attention, which is why he won't commit on whether this could be the last time he's in the field.

"I don't think I need to make a big deal out of whether I'm going to play or not going to play," Nicklaus said. "My time has passed. I've had my time at Augusta. I don't need fanfare for that. When I decide to quit, I can't think that that's any big deal, at least not for me. I don't know why it would be to anybody else."

He knows he's not going to pull off a replay of 1986 and win. But his goal is making the cut, and that is much more realistic.

"So this will be my last time, somewhere in my head believing that I might be able to shoot a reasonable round of golf," said Nicklaus who hasn't made the cut at the Masters since 2000. "I may come back in five years, I may come back in 10 years ... I can do that. I'm not going to come back and clutter up the field if I don't have to."

DOUBLE EAGLE: Sergio Garcia would have liked it during the tournament itself. Still, it was hard to be unhappy about making the first double eagle of his life yesterday during a practice round.

Garcia knocked his second shot into the cup on the par-5 second hole to give both himself and the fans who crowd Augusta National for practice rounds a thrill.

"It's a shame it wasn't in the tournament, but still nice," Garcia said.

Garcia hit driver off the tee on the hole and had 253 yards left to the pin. He took out a 2-iron and hit a shot he thought was just right of the hole.

"All of a sudden the people went crazy on the green, and they said, 'Well, you made it,' " Garcia said. "So I raised my hands for just a couple high-fives."

It didn't have the drama of Gene Sarazen's double eagle on the 15th hole 70 years ago that led to his win, but the shot left Garcia, 25, feeling good about his chances this week.

He shot a 66 in the final round last year to tie for fourth place.

"It was an amazing thing," he said. "I played pretty well. It was a nice day out there."

MICKELSON'S MENU: Phil Mickelson was hosting his first champion's dinner last night, but he wasn't in Augusta to talk about cuisine.

Mickelson planned to serve lobster ravioli but said the best thing about the dinner is he could mingle with so many former champions.

"I'm going to enjoy the fact that I can hang around with some of the Masters greats," he said.

Mickelson, who won the rain-delayed BellSouth in Atlanta on Monday, was more concerned with making sure his game was ready for Augusta National tomorrow than on the menu for the dinner, which is selected by the defending champion.

"My mindset is more concerned about trying to defend this championship and trying to win than it is to have dinner," he said. "As much fun as it will be, I want to get ready for the tournament."

TIGER'S DINNER: Tiger Woods got more out of his first champion's dinner than he thought after winning the Masters for the first time in 1997.

Woods was seated between Byron Nelson and Ben Crenshaw. The three had knives in hand and were explaining grips to each other.

"Mr. Nelson is telling me how he changed his grip back in 1933," Woods said. "I'm saying, 'My dad was just born.'"

Woods has been to every champion's dinner since, but the memory of the first one lingers.

"That's one of the coolest sights, coolest memories," he said.

WEIR'S SUNDAY: Mike Weir's past two Sundays at Augusta National couldn't have been more dramatically different.

Two years ago, Weir won a playoff with Len Mattiace to become the first Canadian and the first left-hander to win the Masters.

Last year, he missed the cut and then had to wait around Augusta for two days to put the green jacket on the new champion, Mickelson.

"It wasn't very much fun," Weir said. "Saturday I don't think I did much. Sunday I ... practiced a little bit and then just hung out with my family and watched it on TV."

Weir would have rather been playing, but at least Mickelson's dramatic win did capture his attention.